Polio, again

ANOTHER child has fallen victim to polio, this time in Sindh. The National Institute of Health this week confirmed that a four-year-old from Bello in Sujawal, Sindh, is infected with the wild poliovirus, making this the first case in 2026. The development brings back into the limelight Pakistan’s long fight against the incurable and debilitating disease, which can cause lifelong paralysis and even death. Last year marked a welcome reversal from the worrying surge seen in 2024, with the case tally declining to 31 from 74 a year earlier. The most recent case should prompt the authorities to prepare themselves for a new challenge in the new year. An NIH official has said that efforts will be made to contain the virus before the high transmission season starts in another month. Godspeed to them. The struggle to eliminate polio has faced headwinds in recent years, but there is no reason the tide cannot be turned with dedication and effort.

The challenges remain the same. A concerted effort is needed to build trust, especially in communities at greatest risk of experiencing an outbreak, and to continue reiterating to sceptical parents the message that the polio vaccine is safe and works to protect children. Pakistan’s health workers, many of whom continue to place their lives on the line just to try to immunise the country’s children, must be extended the physical and financial protections they deserve and provided with any other means they require to do their job. These are the people who choose to risk their lives because they feel that our children’s health is worth the dangers they face. For this, they must be treated and publicly presented as heroes, so that the wider society also values the work they do. Finally, the responsibility to spread awareness regarding polio and its prevention should not be left only to the government or NGOs. Civil society must also participate in this struggle.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2026

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